INTER-CONFEDERATION PLAYOFFS (2 PLACES)

EUROPE (UEFA; 13 PLACES)

Qualifying for 2018 saw seven groups of six nations and two groups of five.

Russia qualify as hosts. Group winners qualified automatically, with the eight best runners-up facing a two-legged playoff. Gibraltar and Kosovo were late additions after being accepted as full FIFA members.

SOUTH AMERICA (CONMEBOL 4.5 PLACES)

As in recent qualifying competitions, all teams played each other home and away. The top four nations qualified directly to the finals. The fifth-place team Peru qualified by beating New Zealand 2-0 over two legs in an intercontinental playoff.

Round Five (final round): The six winners from the fourth round formed one group of six teams. Top three teams qualified with the fourth-place team (Honduras) in an intercontinental playoff (0.5 place) against a team from Asia (Australia).

ASIA (AFC; 4.5 PLACES)

Round One: The 12 lowest ranked nations played two-legged ties. Winners: Bhutan, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, India, Timor-Leste, Yemen,.Round Two: The six winners from the first round join the other 34 Asian nations, drawn into eight groups of five teams -- also played as qualifiers for the 2019 Asian Cup finals. Played June 2015 to March 2016. Eight group winners and four best runners-up advance. VIEW TABLESRound Three (final group round): The remaining 12 nations are drawn into two groups of six teams. Played September 2016 to September 2017. Group winners and runners-up qualified for the World Cup.

Round Four: The teams finishing third in round three -- Australia and Syria -- played a two-legged playoff. The winners (0.5 place) then advanced to the inter-confederation playoff against a team from CONCACAF. Australia beat Syria 3-2 on aggregate to make the intercontinental playoff against Honduras.

OCEANIA (OFC; 0.5 PLACES)

Round One: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tonga played a league tournament in August and September 2015. The winner of the tournament, Samoa, advanced to Round Two.Round Two: Samoa joined the other seven OFC nations in the group stage -- this is also part of the OFC Nations Cup. There were two groups of four teams, with the top three going through. Played from May to June 2016.

New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand and Solomon Islands advanced to round three.

Round Three: Two groups of three teams playing on a home and away basis. Rounds began in November 2016 and finished in June 2017. Group winners then playoff to advance to an intercontinental tie (0.5 place) against the fifth-place team from Conmebol.